PAK ‘WILL NOT TOLERATE US INVASION’

press tv
Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:51:45

Foreign MinisterShah Mahmood Qureshi Pakistan’s foreign minister says
that his country will not allow the US troops to carry out operations
into its tribal belt near Afghanistan.

"Coming and invading FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas)
would be, I think, not a very sensible thing. It would be very
counter-productive, and the people of Pakistan would react to it very
strongly," Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at International Institute for
Strategic Studies think-tank in central London on Thursday.

"It will not solve any issue. First of all, we are a sovereign country
and… we feel that we have capable troops in Pakistan that can look
after peace and security within our territory," Qureshi added.

"By enhancing our capacity, building our capacity, our troops that
are capable can do a much better job. They understand the people,
the language, the customs and the traditions," he noted.

His comments come amid mounting fears in Pakistan that the United
States is prepared to launch military "hot pursuit" raids into the
troubled Pakistani tribal belt as attacks soar in Afghanistan.

In recent days, news reports said Washington was taking steps to make
it easier to launch covert special missions in Pakistan’s remote
tribal areas, near Afghan border, where al-Qaeda is believed to be
rebuilding its network.